Resources

The Silent Killer

The Silent Killer — Sattelanpassung nur für den Moment?!

by Jochen Schleese CMS, CSFT, CSE

The Silent Killer – The Painful Truth of Saddle Fitting and Why it Doesn’t Work!

The subtitle of Jochen Schleese’s first book — published in hardcover by WuWei in Germany and now translated for the North American market under the title Suffering in Silence — clearly states that there are issues inherent in the generally accepted principles of saddle fitting that affect the success of making saddle fit work. The Silent Killer does not simply imply that there is a choice for correct saddle fitting; it acknowledges that there are saddles being made and fitted incorrectly and the book will inform the reader of the suggested philosophy to consider when having his/her saddles fit.

Certified master Saddler and Saddle Ergonomist Jochen Schleese is well know in equestrian circles for his work to educate the riding public through his network of equine professionals “Saddlefit 4 Life® who are dedicated to protecting horse and rider for long-term damage. His innovative saddle designs are well known in the dressage world for truly altering performances and his consuming passion for the well-being of the horse has lead to his involvement as a founding member of HIPPOH (Horse Industry Professionals Protecting Our Horses) Foundation. This book is meant to be a no holds-barred, extremely honest (and perhaps brutal at times) representation of the facts surrounding saddle manufacturers, saddle sales, and saddle fit as existing in today’s market. The rider and the reader need to have the tools and the information at their disposal to allow them to ask the hoard questions necessary from both their saddle provider and their saddle fit service person.

As per Jochen; “My hope and my intent is to enlighten; the thirst for knowledge has become paramount in this industry at this time and the target audience continually haunts the equestrian chat rooms on the internet looking for advice and opinions, reads the latest books (as well as hopefully this one!), attends the ‘hot’ clinician seminars, and in the end hope that what they are doing is what’s best for their horse. It is some of these pervasive myths of ‘what is considered right’ that I hope to dispel and give food for thought too.

Forwards written by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, DVM author of ‘Tug of War’: Classical Versus Modern Dressage and ‘The Balancing Act’; Walter A. Zettl – also know as WAZ, one of the world’s most accomplished and revered masters of classical dressage and sought after clinician and coach, German dressage rider and Olympic-level dressage horse trainer; and Andrea Koslik a physiotherapist and instructor of Rider Biomechanics at the German National Riding School in Warendorf.

posted October 6th, 2015

posted June 25th, 2018

Equine Professional Testimonials

“Dear Jochen: Several years ago I read a review of your book, ordered it immediately, read it several times over & realized that here was someone that was on the same wavelength as myself. This was reemphasized over the last several days. It was a real pleasure to meet you in person, learn from you & feel inspired to continue to keep trying to improve the lot of the horse.”
Dr Sue Dyson
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Equine Orthopaedics
Associate European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging
Head of Clinical Orthopaedics
Centre for Equine Studies
Animal Health Trust
Photo: Jochen with Dr. Sue Dyson at his recent clinic as guest of Caroline Lindsay of “Learn Saddle Fitting Resource: CPD MSFConnection (Perfect Movement Solutions)” in the U.K.